SAPS Air Wing Pilots

Most aviators would agree that police pilots have a much more exciting job than the most other civilian aviation industry pilots. Police pilots work in shifts and are kept on standby during night and day. The South African Police Air Wing operates a variety of aircraft including fixed-wing aircraft as well as helicopters that are based at airports around the country. They are used in many policing operations such as crime prevention, vehicle tracking and pursuit, dagga plantation spraying, crowd control and monitoring, VIP transport and even search and rescue operations.

Requirements to apply

Unlike the South African Air Force, the South African Police Air Wing does not train their own pilots. Most of the SAPS Air Wing’s pilots are trained by civilian aviation flight schools and all SAPS Air Wing pilots hold SACAA pilot’s licences. Their aircraft are also registered on the South African Civil Aviation register.

According to the SAPS website you need to hold a valid Commercial Pilot Licence (A/H) with a valid instrument rating to apply for a pilot position but they are known to have taken in Private Pilots (PPL) in the past. In these cases the PPL pilots would have been trained to Commercial Pilot level before getting paid. It is still illegal for a PPLpilot to be rewarded for flying! More information about Civilian Aviation Pilot training can be found here.

If you have a Commercial Pilot Licence and would like to apply for a position at the SAPS Air Wing you can visit their website for more information and contact details.